East Liverpool boy, 7, dies of suspected flu-related illness

Staff report

EAST LIVERPOOL

Colton Williams, 7, of East Liverpool died of a suspected flu-related illness Saturday after being taken to a hospital emergency room early that morning.

According to 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner, an autopsy will be performed by the Columbiana County Coroner’s Office today to determine the cause of death. If Colton’s death is ruled flu-related, it would be the county’s second flu- related pediatric death in the past few weeks. A 6-year-old boy from Salem died of the flu last month.

North Elementary School, Colton’s school, was scheduled to open its doors at 8 a.m. today for grief counseling or anyone who is worried about discussing Colton’s death with students, according to the school’s Facebook page.

On Friday, the Ohio Department of Health reported that three children died in the past two weeks from flu-related causes. The others are a 7-year-old girl in Fulton County and a 6-year-old girl in Cuyahoga County.